1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a gas-operated wall heater for residential and commercial installations wherein the housing of the wall heater is mounted on the surface of the wall and extends from near the floor to an horizontal plane spaced from the ceiling, and more particularly to a independently mounted auxiliary housing extension for such a gas-operated wall heater that functions to capture and direct into the room to be heated much of the heat energy that is normally lost through conventional wall heater installations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A preliminary patentability and novelty search conducted in connection with the invention described herein revealed the existence of the United States patents listed hereinafter.
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In most conventional gas-operated wall heater installations, the fire-box of the heater structure is mounted in the wall space between two adjacent vertical studs. Appropriate metal brackets fixed to the fire-box at its top and bottom ends retain the fire-box suspended in the space between the studs, and retain the fire-box spaced from combustible wall materials. Conventionally, the wall material that covers the studs is so called "dry-wall", also known as "plasterboard" or "sheetrock". Such wall covering normally is cut away between the two opposing studs in the area within which the fire-box of the wall heater is mounted, but the wall material usually covers the space between the ceiling and the top end of the fire-box where the fire-box is connected to a flue, the latter extending upwardly between the two opposing wall surfaces above the wall heater, passing through the attic if any there be, and including a vent portion that extends through the roof of the building, the vent usually being covered with a vent cap, commonly referred to as a "code cap".
Within the room in which the wall heater is mounted, and which it is intended the wall heater heat when operating, the fire-box is enclosed by a wall heater housing portion that is usually suspended on a projecting edge of the upper fire-box suspension bracket. The wall heater housing portion thus fits flush against the wall surface surrounding the opening in the wall within which the fire-box is mounted, and functions to protect against direct contact of the fire-box by occupants, and to circulate room air over the exterior of the fire-box and re-circulate the heated air by convection into the room to be heated. Unfortunately, in conventional wall heater installations, much of the heat generated by the gas-fired fire-box is lost through the flue to which the fire-box is connected, and passes uselessly into the attic, from whence it is dissipated to the outdoors through conventional attic ventilation openings.
I have discovered that the efficiency rating of such a conventional gas-operated wall heater may be increased significantly by capturing much of the heat that passes through the flue portion that is contained within the wall space between the top of the wall heater and the ceiling, and re-circulating this conventionally lost heat back into the room intended to be heated by the wall heater.
Accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a wall heater extension that encloses the flue between the top of the fire-box and the ceiling, and by convection redirects the heated air surrounding the flue back into the room.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a housing extension for a gas-operated wall heater that functions to fill the gap between the top of the conventional wall heater housing and the ceiling to thus capture the heated air surrounding the flue that passes through this space and redirects such heated air into the room.
A still further obbject of the invention is the provision of an extension for a wall heater housing that may be retrofitted to existing wall heater installations.
Conventional gas-fired wall heaters from different heater manufacturers may vary in height. Accordingly, yet another object of the invention is the provision, as an article of manufacture, of a prefabricated wall heater housing extension adapted to fill the space between the top surface of a wall heater and the ceiling thereabove, and which is equipped with at least one adjustable trim member applicable to accommodate variations in the height of the wall heaters from different manufacturers.
Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a wall heater extension that may be hingedly mounted on the wall surface above a wall heater housing to facilitate mounting above existing wall heater installations.
The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which with the foregoing, will be apparent from the following description and the drawings. It is to be understood however that the invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated and described since it may be embodied in various forms within the scope of the appended claims.